Donald Trump Could Face Charges For ‘Criminal Incitement,’ Report Says
Amid growing calls for President Donald Trump’s removal from office following the storming of the U.S. Capitol, The Hill claimed on Saturday that the U.S. leader’s conduct at his rally on Wednesday could lead to charges for “criminal incitement.”
The publication pointed in particular to comments from CNN legal analyst and former prosecutor Elie Honig.
“The president needs to be investigated and does have real potential criminal liability for incitement for essentially spurring people on, motivating people to go in there and commit these crimes,” he said.
Although Honig acknowledged that the case is “not easy” to make, he suggested that Trump’s words ultimately lay the foundation for criminal charges.
“But if you look at his words, if you look at the language he used, the way he not only urged people to do it, but applauded them after they did it, while they were doing it, that suggests to me he knew exactly what it was leading them into.”
The Hill also highlighted that District of Columbia Council member Robert White called D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine this week to discuss the possibility of filing criminal charges against the head of state. Per D.C. law, willfully urging or inciting others to riot is punishable by up to six months imprisonment.
The publication noted that it’s still unclear whether Trump will try to self-pardon — a legal pathway with no historical precedent — or whether Joe Biden’s incoming Justice Department is willing to pursue charges against the soon-to-be-former president.
As reported by ABC News, Ken Kohl, a senior prosecutor in the U.S. attorney’s office in Washington, claimed that the department is not planning to pin incitement charges on Trump or anyone else who spoke at Wednesday’s rally.
“We don’t expect any charges of that nature,” he told reporters on Friday.
Conversely, acting U.S. Attorney Michael Sherwin, the top federal prosecutor in Washington, D.C., claimed on Thursday that Trump could be charged for his role in the riots. Sherwin said that the DOJ is examining the possibility of charges for all individuals who were involved in Wednesday’s riots — including the president.
The possibility of charges comes as the real estate mogul’s time in the White House nears its end. He already faces potential civil and criminal liability in New York from investigations from Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
As The Inquisitr reported, Democrats in the House of Representatives are allegedly planning to introduce articles of impeachment against Trump on Monday.
